station72 | [hatch log] pull plug, enter multiverse

Entry tags:

[hatch log] pull plug, enter multiverse

CHARACTERS: All
WHERE: The Station + Concordia
WHEN: DAY :025 - :026
SUMMARY: Somewhere deep in Station 72, a hatch happens; new hosts arrive on Concordia.
WARNINGS: Will update as necessary.

YOU WAKE UP and in a very real sense you are born again. You’re not the same person you were the last time your eyes were open. You’ll never be that person again - well, except for you, Jessica Jones. You know how this part goes, don’t you?

You might not know it right away, though. What you do know is that you’re laying down in a place very different than you were before. The walls angle around you, claustrophobic, and they emit a gentle white light that’s faint enough not to hurt your freshly opened eyes. For a moment you feel fine even if you didn’t before you went under. Whatever injuries you might have had, whatever agony you may have been experiencing, whatever fear dogged your heels, they’re all gone. It’s quiet. When you’re conscious enough to take stock of anything beyond that, you realize that you’re wearing your own clothes and that there’s a faint pinch at the base of your skull - notable as the only discomfort you feel. Reach up, feel along the tube running from the base of your neck to the compartment’s back wall. It pulls free without much fuss.

Then it’s not so quiet anymore. There’s the sensation of something more, something louder, something both big and broad and something intimately near to you. There’s the realization that you aren’t alone, that you won’t ever be alone again. You belong here. This is as correct as the murmur of something like muffled voices in the back of your head is somehow familiar, or how the press of emotion that sweeps over you now doesn’t necessarily belong to you but doesn’t feel out of place either.

You can sit up - barely -, and shift out of the pod. There’s a ladder at your feet, and a little cubby just before it with anything you brought with you, as well as a set of crisp, loose-fitting white clothes; while your injuries are healed, whatever you’re wearing is in the exact state it was before. You can hear a sound in the back of your head, a faint buzzing, something like distant waves or the murmur of a party behind a door. Drop down the ladder to the floor of the Nesting Deck and you’ll find you’re not alone - and the those sounds in your head are louder. Other people’s thoughts swim up: some of them seem clear, most of them are a jumbled mess. Some of these people call to you - their voices are louder, their feelings more clear, they feel right. Further, there’s an awareness that there are others like you - not here, not close, but somewhere: an indelible tug at the back of your mind.

Welcome to Station 72. All new hosts will have one day aboard the Station before being whisked off to Concordia to join the others. Get to know the other new hosts, and ask the guardians of the Station - Prince and Cathaway -, any burning questions you might have. By the time the day has passed, Carata will arrive on the hangar to collect you.

MEANWHILE IN CONCORDIA Angel slips into a coma on :025 at almost at the exact same time that some Hosts become aware of missing pieces fitting into place. Those hosts with new brood members waking up on the station will feel somewhere more complete; you might want to let everyone know you’ll be getting new roommates soon.

Everyone might be putting themselves and their broods back together in the wake of the explosion that left the nest down one host and injected everyone with renewed motivation to either find the people responsible or make sure nothing like what happened at Royal Street ever happens again. Things are progressing on multiple fronts, but on DAY 26 there’s an option to put some of those efforts on the back burner...

     ON THE STATION, the new hosts are herded onto a sleek, black brick-shaped transport. Carata, a woman young enough to almost be called a girl, carefully makes sure everyone is seated and strapped in. She’s all gentle, easy smiles and cheerful responses to any questions posed to her. When everyone’s safely aboard, the ship’s landing platform descends through the floor of the hangar. It snaps into place in the airlock and for a moment there’s a beat of perfect stillness, a shiver of anticipation. Then the transport is flung through the shaft, ejected into the wild black of space. There’s a nauseating lurch in your belly as it bursts through the delicate shell of the multiverse and snaps into real space above the blue and yellow marble of the planet Opia. Somewhere, thousands of miles below in the city of Concordia, your brood is waiting for you.

     IN CONCORDIA
IN CONCORDIA, as dark falls, Nirad announces he’s going to fetch Carata and the new hosts from their landing. Anyone’s welcome to accompany him on the hour long drive to the stealth transport’s landing zone. The rented bus - manned by that same (now very stoic) android - takes everyone to the outskirts of the industrial block. They arrive at a different parking garage just as the stealth transport drops out of the sky, shivering into sight as it touches down. The hosts on the ship step down and then the stealth transport lifts back off the rooftop and wrinkles out of sight. It’s unclear how many more time they’ll be able to get away with this.

Get your meet and greets in and stretch your legs; you have a few minutes before everyone piles into the van and takes the long drive back to the Bearings Apartment block where the hosts have rented out the entirely of Level 13. New hosts will find there are rooms there that as of yet unclaimed, and they’re free to begin making this their home in whatever ways they please. Get familiar with your new comrades, explore the city, or maybe just take a well deserved breather. Officially speaking, nothing much happens until--

     EARLY ON DAY 27

A NEW WINDOW POPS UP IN YOUR EXTRANET PANEL...

((OOC Notes: This is the hatch log for all new and recently returning hosts; any threads on the Station should be closed to newly awakened hosts or Station-based NPCs; a top level for Cathaway and Prince will be going live shortly. Any threads on Concordia can be open to both new and old hosts! For anything happening beyond these calendar dates, feel free to create your own logs and posts.

If you have questions about the mission specifically, direct them to the most recent calendar post HERE. You can find a more detailed overview of the hatching process HERE; you might also want to take a glance at the MISSION CONCORDIA BRIEFING. For all other questions, please hit up either the FAQ or MOD CONTACT pages.))

NAVIGATION • SETTING • FAQ • MOD CONTACT • GLOSSARY

( CODE BY WHAMBAM )

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[The Enemy -- yes, he certainly did see them. Guilt threatens to twist in his stomach for allowing himself to be caught so off-guard, a self-admonishment of his own lack of preparation. But he has time to reprimand himself for that later; he doesn't like the idea of anyone else being privy to his own internal workings, of accidentally bleeding out emotion, so he pushes on.

Concerning the symbiote, he wryly thinks to himself that he doesn't need a reason to be more wary of the thing inside his skull. That alone borders on the realm of common sense, and to think that there were others here who would embrace it so readily? He's not sure he could ever understand that, much less ever relate.] I spoke with Prince. What he told me of the Enemy was insubstantial, bordering on fanciful at best. You can't approach a problem without preparation. There must be more on them, something we've missed, or just haven't looked hard enough for.

[Detective work. Unbelievable technologies, strange alien powers, interlinked minds -- all of it added up to little in the face of an investigation properly handled.

Easy enough for him to say, of course, but he knows it would be hypocritical for him not to offer assistance. That and he didn't intend on ever sitting on his hands, anyway.]

I can help you.

Edited (Hours later, sees a typo...) 2016-08-21 00:57 (UTC)

[Though Lexa will not speak her thoughts on Prince, there is a sense that she is terribly unsurprised by how little he's told this man. She would expect nothing more from him, and feels as if there is nothing by now that can repair her opinion of him. It's good that others catch on quickly, though she suspects that he didn't press the man the same way she did.

As it is, his final words seem to be the most important. Her hands come to rest on her knees, and her eyes study him for a moment. And then she proceeds with speaking:] Our best bet is to begin with this world. The anti-synthetic cause is their end goal here, ensuring that the singularity never comes to pass. [Which was told to her by Nirad, but everything else has backed up this perception.] Since they came here, things changed. I believe them to be the catalyst to the rise and force of this sentiment, when it was previously a movement without traction.

Unfortunately, I lack the technological skills to know where to begin looking into this. [But she is good at delegating duties and figuring out what needs to be done.

In that way, she's a lot like him, without even realizing it. Bruce Wayne, meet a person who's as big of a control freak as you (albeit in different ways).]

[Bruce is quiet for a moment, and it's less out of hesitation and more careful consideration. His own experience with technology was certainly not lacking (it was no easy feat, setting up the massive terminal in the bat cave back home in Gotham), but this was an alien world, full of alien technologies that he could only assume would be unfamiliar to him at first.

And while this may be a deterrent to most, it isn't for Bruce. You would be correct about one thing: he certainly is a control freak, and he often wants to find ways to bend situations to his advantage, no matter how difficult it may seem.

Thus his response comes out with an even confidence that is trademark of the man, sewn into a serious expression.] I've some experience with technology. Different from this world, but similar enough from what I've seen -- I'm sure my skills would be helpful, one way or another.

[Besides, it's not just technological skill that carries weight, in his mind. It's the reasoning, the logic. Again, the investigative process was truly the key to discovering answers, and he intended on using them.]

It's easiest to start with an individual, rather than an organization. One usually leads to the other, in my experience.

It's the individual that we hope to begin with. I've done some cursory searches on a man who leads that movement, but nothing seems to indicate that he has been offered further assistance. It's been suggested that he might be a cover for someone else, given encouragement but largely used as a target. [Misdirection is not necessarily that creative of a tactic, but in a world like this one, Lexa thinks it is definitely possible.

Besides, they have already utilized the method of putting eyes on the incorrect place. It wouldn't be surprising for them to do it again. Lexa pauses as she pieces this together, debating how exactly to go on with more purpose.]

The man in question is Goram Saffit. I don't believe he is behind what is happening. It would be too obvious. Whoever it is has utilized misdirection before. They pointed to Ven Diagrams, and the man behind that company. Whether he holds useful information is hard to say. We failed that mission.

[It occurs to her that she doesn't know how, precisely, they did fail. Her mind had emphasized the expediency of Angel and Bellamy's exits so much that she hadn't traced it back to the "how they got caught in the first place." She pauses, looking forward with her eyebrows knitting together.

That's a question for later.]

[Goram Saffit. It's a name that Bruce recognizes, for he's also done his cursory research -- as much as his brief time spent as a member of the Nest would allow, at least. He would agree that the man would be the Too Obvious answer; and though Occam's Razor was not something to be ignored, Bruce believe that one should never approach a solution without at least a small dash of incredulity.

The mention of the failed mission is of natural interest -- mostly because he wishes to know how it went wrong so that they don't repeat themselves -- but it's something that can be looked into later. To be asked about later. For now, there's something he wishes to know more, to focus on the now.]

Is there a plan to meet with anyone of suspicion, or of interest? If there is, I'd like to be there. I've had some experience dealing with bureaucracy if it comes down to it; plus, it's easier for me to know how to approach a situation if I'm physically there.

[Infiltrating from a distance is all well and good, but he was always more of a hands-on type of personality.]

I believe plans are in motion to speak to Saffit. They're being spearheaded by the Darkling. I'm intending to meet with Mind Life, a foundation that's pro-synthetic, to potentially pass over a piece of technology. I don't believe them to be suspicious. As for the leader of Ven Diagrams, their willingness to bypass a personal meeting with the man tells me that it may prove impossible.

[That doesn't mean that she doesn't want to try, but it's a problem that they need to assess and handle moving forward. Lexa considers the three options, especially since they have no bombing suspects available to them. At least, as far as she knows.]

There were some suspects from the previous bombing. I don't know who looked into it. [Interrogation is something she has skill in, but it involves more brutal methods than she imagines this world would like. She believes she's proven more useful parsing out the various notions guiding this world (and, in addition, she believes that it's helped her figure out how to approach and perceive all that's been happening).]

[The Darkling. A man in his so-called brood, though Bruce doesn't see a point in uttering such aloud. A twitch in his brow might be all that betrays this thought, but little else. He makes a note to follow up on these plans, but for now there's another opportunity before him that he may as well pursue.

But first, a question, because he's ~~nosy~~ thorough like that.] What sort of technology? [Followed by a query more in line with their current discussion.] And do you know who these suspects are?

[Interrogation is also something Bruce has... skill in, sometimes leaning towards the brutal side, but almost always including some form of intimidation. How successful that will be when he's not decked out in his batsuit might be interesting, but Bruce is confident enough to believe that shouldn't be an issue. (If it ever comes down to it.)]

[After a beat, she gives a solemn shake of her head. The eyebrow quirk is missed, otherwise she might have drawn the pieces together to know that he's close with Bellamy, as well. It would have raised her interest in him (when it's already present). But that's for another time and another conversation.]

I come from a place where the first commander of my people designed a piece of technology to help upload a consciousness and allow it to evolve well after death. Within me, it is still controlled by my whims, but the means they have of creating a singularity here are still limited. [From what she can see (and what the woman in her head that's really the woman in her chip tells her), the technology of this world is advanced in every other possible way. Except this one. This is where they are limiting themselves, and if they had this technology, she firmly believes they wouldn't be caught up in this way.]

We're having some trouble replicating it. [Though, again, the technology of this world is more advanced.]

I believe you'll get the name of the suspects off the reports. It's been some time, however. I don't know them off hand. [Detective work: not her style, really.]

[The technology itself is not as much interest to Bruce as the purpose behind sharing it. He's already come to accept that there's tech both here and known to his fellow hosts that's beyond the reach of anything that was possible at home -- and while what Lexa details to him is certainly impressive, he's not one to question the inner workings of such a feat unless absolutely necessary. There was a lot to be done, almost too much to be done; he would unravel the mysteries of priority first.

And so he doesn't ask how it works, but rather why is it a gift.] And is this a gesture purely out of good faith? [Call him cynical, but if there's an ulterior motive on their side, he would like to know.]

As for the suspects, I'll take a look at the reports tonight. [Yes, tonight. Giving himself time to adjust to his new life? Not when there's work to be done.]

((ooc; may I add you on plurk?))

I believe it may be the best method to solidify our methods here. If our Enemy hopes to stop the progress of this world, there is no reason to believe that they will only come here once to set things in motion. [It isn't out of the goodness of her heart. Some people have mistakenly believed that, but Lexa wants to stymie their Enemy in part because she views them as a potential threat to her people. Cornering them and successfully cutting off their power (which she believes past Hosts have largely failed to do) is how to bring them to an end.

Or it's one method.]

If you have any questions, I can do my best to help. Carata and Nirad are useful for information, albeit more about the mission than our experiences.

[They are too comfortable with the ordeal of being Hosts.]

[yes! i'm @medieval]

[As he suspected, it was not merely out of the goodness of her heart, though Bruce is hardly judgmental. He explanation was reasonable. And yet it also revealed to him a bit of her character -- that she was clever, likely so, but cleverness often ushered in a keenness for manipulation, wielded just as easily. He hasn't known her long enough to say one way or the other, but regardless, it's something he notes to himself. One observation in a veritable sea of them, since his arrival. (The ones concerning hosts are often of interest to him.)

This line of thinking transitions easily into his next question, though it may sound oddly direct without context.]

Who are you, exactly?

Lexa kom Trikru. Back home, they call me "Heda"—Commander.

[There are rare situations where she feels inclined to share her credentials off the bat, and so thoroughly. But it feels important here to show him where she stands. The title itself is militaristic in nature, as her people live a violent, war-torn life. It offers some depth to her perspective, and why she views the experience here as if they are dealing with a gameboard involving strategy.]

And you are?

[Commander. It's unsurprising in how fitting it is, Bruce thinks, from what little he's gleaned of her personality from their one conversation alone. Her way of thinking runs parallel with the title (or what assumptions he can make about one that sounds so militaristic).

In return, he'll give his name, though he has no title to latch onto it. "Of Wayne Enterprises" does not carry the same weight in the outer reaches of the universe, nor is it as independent of context as the title of Commander. And Bruce won't be so quick to give out his other moniker, not without reason, and certainly not to someone he's just met, despite their shared character traits.]

Bruce Wayne. [The way he says it still carries weight, though he is still compelled to state what he does in a way more digestable than "majority shareholder of Wayne Enterprises."] I'm more businessman than military.

[Omitting a few important details? Maybe. But it's truth regardless, and the rest can be either implied or figured out in due time by others, as far as he's concerned.]

Bruce, [she repeats, mostly for good measure. Her understanding of capitalism is only two planets old. She's read about it in books, but her people lack a specific currency, believing that trade is the grounding for everything they do. Acquiring a wardrobe upon arrival had been a trial and error basis of figuring out the basics of what Prince had outlined to her about numbers. By now, she has a good grasp of it, but the inner workings of business escape her.]

You'll be adequately prepared to handle this world's commerce, then. Whatever cover is decided for you, you should advise Carata to allow you to use these skills. We're currently facing some difficulties in this area. ["We" is fair. It's one area where she has struggled to make up for things in terms of planning. But if they could get a high-level officer (or whatever they are called in businesses—executive seems proper?) to work and meet with other businesses, they may not have to go through so many complicated channels.]

[Bruce isn't unused to using all of his skills to achieve a particular goal, even if those skills have to extend into the boardroom; he knows business (though he does not know Concordia's business; more reading to be done, it seems) and he is well aware of the bureaucracy that litters it.

He can play more than one role. He does it all the time. He simply doesn't want to be limited to it.]

I can consort with business executives, fine. But at that level, there's usually red tape for miles. Socially, I may be put into a position where my hands are tied, and there may be nothing to be done about it. Publicly.

[Publicly. No one said anything about not slinking around in the shadows at night.]

[Good point. There is "red tape" keeping people from seeing her when she's being particularly controlling, and why would a business be any different? She understands what he's saying, but she still thinks he will have a useful perspective.]

When you begin to look at what we've done, I'm curious about what you think about the secrecy surrounding Ven Diagrams. [It may be a corporate decision, but her beliefs tend to fall into seeing tactics differently.

They need someone who can provide the other perspective, which she's fairly certain none of the Hosts before him could do.]

[He is certainly willing to try (when is he not?) but he knows that putting his foot in the proverbial door isn't as easy as it seems. Corporate politics are interwoven and complicated, and it's unlikely any of the suits will be keen on sharing secrets with a newcomer, falsified credentials or otherwise.

Regardless, even if he has trouble penetrating the web itself, he would still be able to offer insight on its architecture.]

Secrecy concerning something other than their corporate policies?

[Because business dealings are often kept hush-hush; no corporation is exempt from that.]

We believe they have answers regarding the first round of bombings that they've chosen to keep to themselves. They may have answers that we haven't found yet. [Without them, she's at a loss. But she's genuinely frustrated with why they would conceal information that would protect their organization.

But perhaps a company is unlike a society of people in that way. Lexa doesn't know personally, so it's where her understanding of this world hits a very literal wall.]

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[hatch log] pull plug, enter multiverse

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